February ends with Pompey in the top three of League One for the first time.

It was no stroll but goals from Ryan Williams, Steve Seddon and Christian Burgess (yes him again) saw off Rochdale in front a rain and wind-hit crowd of hardy souls.

With James Bolton and Cameron McGeehan back in the starting line-up Pompey were the better side throughout the contest but found it difficult to find much fluency.

The Blues and their fans had to wait until the final minute of the first half for the lead to come. It arrived when Ronan Curtis's cross was headed goalwards by Burgess but kept out by Robert Sanchez, only for Williams to lash home the loose ball.

Rochdale had their moments in the second, striking the angle of post and bar and forcing one top-class save from Alex Bass, but Pompey made sure of the win, three points and third place in the final 12 minutes.

First sub Seddon drove an anlged shot into the far corner of the net from 20 yards, then Burgess pounced for his fourth goal in less than two months, heading in to make it 3-0.

The victory lifted Pompey to third having played the same number of games as all the top six apart from Coventry, who have an extra one to play.

All the Blues' rivals play on Saturday while Kenny Jackett's men start to think about their next challenge - that provided by Arsenal, visitors in the FA Cup on Monday night.

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